Printed Service – Sunday 5th May 2024
Prepared by Rev. Saul Tadzaushe
“The Tower”
Call to worship Psalm 116 :1-2
I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.
Hymn STF94 – To God be the glory
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To God be the glory, great things He hath done,~
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life our redemption to win,
And opened the life-gate that all may go in.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice;
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice;
Oh, come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory; great things He hath done.
Oh, perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
To every believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.
Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done,
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport when Jesus we see.
Prayer of Adoration:
Glory to God who has opened the heavens so that we may glimpse a vision of Jesus Christ Our Lord and Saviour . Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of the house which was rejected by the builders , Jesus Christ is our rock of ages. He is our Tower. Let us praise his name with hymns and songs.
The Lord’s Prayer
Hymn STF51 Great is thy faithfulness
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Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be
Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine with 10, 000 beside
Bible Reading 1 Peter 2:2-12
Like new-born babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame. ”Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and, “A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
Theme: The Tower
Reflections
Let me invite you to make a list of the different towers you know in the world or just here in UK.
What is their relevance and significance?
The tallest and most attractive Tower in the world today is found in Dubai. It is for cultural significance and tourism business. It has luxurious hotels .
But it can only be visited by those who have money to do so.
Christ is our Tower. He is our strength in times of need and trouble. He is all powerful and always present to help us. He is the Tower of all. The poor and the rich are all invited.
1 Peter 2:2-12 reminds us that our spiritual growth and nourishment is found in Jesus Christ.
We are living stones together with Jesus Christ.
Our global influence and impact on the world is through the power of the Holy spirit and the name of Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is the Tower born of the spirit and lives for ever and ever.
All these man-made towers will fall down. They have their life expectancy. They are not permanent. The story of the Tower of Babel is a good example.
Let us praise Jesus Christ Our Lord and Saviour the Tower of our life. John 14:1-14 – Our assurance of eternal life is in Jesus Christ The Tower.
Amen.
Hymn STF434 Rock of ages cleft for me
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Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee;
let the water and the blood,
from thy wounded side which flowed,
be of sin the double cure;
save from wrath and make me pure.
Not the labours of my hands
can fulfill thy law’s demands;
could my zeal no respite know,
could my tears forever flow,
all for sin could not atone;
thou must save, and thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring,
simply to the cross I cling;
naked, come to thee for dress;
helpless, look to thee for grace;
foul, I to the fountain fly;
wash me, Saviour, or I die.
While I draw this fleeting breath,
when mine eyes shall close in death,
when I soar to worlds unknown,
see thee on thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee.
Prayer of Intercession: Let us read Psalm 31:1-24
In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness.
Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me.
Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge.
Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.
I hate those who cling to worthless idols; as for me, I trust in the Lord.
I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.
You have not given me into the hands of the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief.
My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction]
and my bones grow weak.
Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbours
and an object of dread to my closest friends-those who see me on the street flee from me.I am forgotten as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery.
For I hear many whispering, “Terror on every side!”
They conspire against me and plot to take my life.
But I trust in you, Lord; I say, “You are my God.”
My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me.
Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.
Let me not be put to shame, Lord, for I have cried out to you;
but let the wicked be put to shame and be silent in the realm of the dead.
Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous.
How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you,
that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you.
In the shelter of your presence you hide them from all human intrigues;
you keep them safe in your dwelling from accusing tongues.
Praise be to the Lord, for he showed me the wonders of his love when I was in a city under siege.
In my alarm I said, “I am cut off from your sight!” Yet you heard my cry for mercy
when I called to you for help. Love the Lord, all his faithful people! The Lord preserves those who are true to him, but the proud he pays back in full. Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.
Hymn STF548 Blessed assurance.
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Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine;
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Saviour all the day long.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Saviour all the day long.
Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending, bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Saviour am happy and blest;
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.
Benediction and Dismissal.